OPPD ready to tackle blizzard conditions

Nearly 18-hundred Omaha Public Power District customers were without power earlier today after a car crashed into a power pole. Spokesperson Jodi Baker says they are anticipating a lot of weather related incidents throughout the day. She says it is all hands on deck and crews have been preparing for a very busy day. Baker says they have been organizing their equipment and safety gear, gassing up vehicles and layering their clothing to protect themselves from the cold. She says crews used their time wisely as conditions will get worse before they get better.

Baker says, “We know that when winds kick in things could shift. Things could change. Tree limbs could get knocked down. Slick roads could cause car crashes into poles. There are a lot of things that could start kicking up here.” Earlier this morning 1,800 customers were without service when a vehicle slid into a power pole in Omaha.

Baker says they have a real concern about their rural customers. She says it takes a long time to get around in some of those areas. She says the power outage may be only a few miles away but crews sometimes have to drive miles out of their way to find the problem. She says those calls can be really challenging to crews.